A total of 98 people were killed and another 5,888,220 affected by the sweeping flood in 30 districts across the country so far, according to the Disaster Management Department.
Briefing reporters on Saturday, Naznin Shamima, in-charge of department control room, said 485,589 hectares of paddy field and 43,536 houses were completely damaged by the flood.
Department’s deputy director Riaz Ahmed said the floodwater has already receded from Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Panchagarh districts, while it started falling in Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Gaibandha and Kurigram.
Meanwhile, the water level is on the rise in Manikganj, Munshiganj and Rajbari, he added.
The overall flood situation in the country’s northern region improved further with a slight drop in the water level of the major rivers while a minor child drowned in Jamalpur today.
According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, the water level of all the major rivers in the northern region are falling very slowly although some of them were still flowing above the danger level.
The water level of the Dharla River fell by 28cm at Kurigram point and it was flowing only 1cm above the red mark at 6am while the Teesta was flowing 48 and 143cm below the danger level at Dalia and Kaunia points shedding 3cm and 8cm respectively.
The Brahmaputra was flowing 17cm above the red level at Chilmari point although the water level fell by 23cm while the Jamuna was flowing 75cm, 76cm, 116cm and 118cm above the danger level at Bahadurabad, Sariakandi, Kazipur and Sirajganj points marking a fall by 27cm, 24cm, 22cm and 20cm respectively.
The Atrai River was flowing 108cm above the danger level at Baghabari point marking a fall by 1cm.
The Padma water was moving 106cm above the danger level at Goalanda while above 49cm at Bhagyakul marking a decrease by 2cm. The water level of the mighty river increased 7cm at Sureswar point.
In Jamalpur, a 4-year-old girl, Suraiya, daughter of Harmuz Ali of Tinarchar village in Islampur upazila, drowned in floodwater as her mother went outside for some work in the morning.
Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya said the government will reconstruct the damaged houses of the flood-affected people.
He came up with the assurance while distributing relief materials among the flood victims at Govt Pilot Primary School field in Melandaha upazila.
Maya warned that no corruption will be tolerated in the distribution of relief materials.
He said the government allocated 2,000 tonnes of rice and Tk 50 lakh in cash for the flood victims of Jamalpur district. “The Sheikh Hasina government won’t let anyone to starve.”
In Kurigram, flood-hit people are in limitless miseries for lack of adequate relief materials and pure water though the water levels of 16 major rivers, including Teesta, Dharla and Brhamaputra, have started falling.
Besides, waterborne diseases have broken out in the affected areas.
In Chapainawabganj, the water level of the Punbhorba, Padma and Mahananda rivers saw a fall and was flowing slightly above the danger level.
Meanwhile, fresh areas were flooded in Naogaon as a flood control embankment broke down in Sadar upazila, affecting over 1 lakh people. People took shelter in 38 shelter centres.
In Natore, the Atrai was flowing 70cm above the danger mark, flooding new areas in Singra upazila. Many flood-affected people left their houses for safe shelter.
At least seven hectares of Aman paddy have already been damaged by the floodwater.
Paddy on 800 bighas of land in Temuk Nowdapara beel went under water on Friday evening as gushing water was entering it through a damaged dam along the Sidhakhali River.
In Sherpur, the Puratan Bhahmaputra, Doshani and Mrigi rivers swelled further, deteriorating the flood situation.
A total of 80 villages in 14 unions of three upazilas were freshly flooded and vast tracts of paddy field inundated, said local agriculture officer Pikan Kumar Saha.
In Sirajganj, fresh areas were flooded today as the water level of the Jamuna continued to rise.
In Bogra, though the water is receding slowly, victim’s misery compounded for lack of food and water. There was an acute shortage of food and safe water.
In Shariatpur, the examinations of 259 educational institutions were suspended due to flood in Naria and Zajira upazilas.
District Primary Education Officer Abul Kalam Azad said the water is gradually increasing, inundating at least 70 schools.
In Rajbari, the water level of the Padma remained static and was flowing 106cm above the danger level.
